Students in the linguistic segregation plan score 20 points less in Catalan than in Spanish

PalmStudents from schools adhering to the pilot plan for free choice of language obtain significantly lower results in Catalan compared to Spanish. This is reflected in the data from a report that the Ministry of Education has delivered to STEI, which had requested it in the context of the lawsuit against the plan. According to this data, the average score out of 100 in the fourth-grade Primary tests places Catalan at 38 points, compared to 58 points for Spanish, 20 points less. This is the initial evaluation carried out in October 2024 in the participating schools, as established by the resolution regulating the plan. Specifically, the results correspond to the 11 schools that joined in the 2024-2025 academic year, while this year there are already 20 affiliated schools.STEI considers that these figures demonstrate the limitations of the model promoted by the Government. The union recalls that the plan itself sets the objective for schools to "adopt measures to compensate for possible deficiencies in either of the two official languages".

In this regard, the organization points out that the data do not show a balanced improvement in linguistic competence, but rather a significant imbalance that particularly affects Catalan. Furthermore, it recalls that recent reports from the Institut per a l'Avaluació i la Qualitat del Sistema Educatiu (IAQSE) had already warned of a decline in this language, with a loss of 15 points in the second year of ESO according to the 2025 report.

For STEI, this set of indicators reinforces the need for a thorough review of educational language policies to guarantee effective command of the native language of the Balearic Islands. The union also criticizes that the plan, in its opinion, represents a "segregating" model that weakens the application of the Decree of minimums and the linguistic projects of the centers.

Likewise, it questions the arguments of the Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, and considers that they respond more to political interests than to pedagogical criteria: "They have no consistency or justification beyond selling the Catalan language in exchange for the parliamentary support of Vox". more than selling the Catalan language in exchange for the parliamentary support of Vox".  

Finally, the STEI once again calls for the withdrawal of the plan and urges the Government to allocate resources to address structural problems in the education system, such as the reduction of ratios and the improvement of infrastructure.

The Ministry emphasizes that these are initial results

In statements to the media, Vera explained that the IAQSE pilot plan foresees an initial evaluation before its application and a subsequent final evaluation, with the aim of analyzing the student's evolution over three years. "If we analyze the data, the main problem is detected in 4th grade of primary school, especially in written expression," she pointed out. However, she stressed that these are initial results and that, when the final evaluation is available, a global analysis will be carried out to make the pertinent decisions.

Vera also insisted that the development of the pilot plan respects the Decree of minimums, that the teaching hours in Catalan are met, and that the participation of the centers is voluntary.

Vera has remarked that "the Decree of minimums has been respected in the development of the pilot plan", that the teaching hours in Catalan are met and that it is a voluntary plan.

In general terms, the minister has admitted that the students of the Balearic Islands present difficulties in various areas, such as Catalan, English, mathematics and Spanish, as well as in relation to school dropout. In this last area, however, he has highlighted a recent improvement, which ensures that the Islands have stopped being at the bottom of the indicators, partly thanks to the boost of Vocational Training.